Department of Homeland Security
Daily Open Source Infrastructure
Report
for 16 March 2007
Current
Nationwide
Threat Level is
For info click here
http://www.dhs.gov/
Daily Highlights
• The Associated Press reports the Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all
RegionsAir planes −− stranding passengers at airports in Morgantown, Clarksburg, and
Parkersburg, West Virginia −− due to problems with the carrier's training and certification
program. (See item 14)
• The Los Angeles Times reports a potentially deadly parasite from Latin America, called
Chagas, has become one of the latest threats to the blood and organ supplies in the U.S.,
especially in Los Angeles. (See item 20)
• The Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday, March 14, it has created a unit to
combat the threat posed by "homegrown terrorists" meaning citizens or legal residents who
plot attacks from inside the nation's borders. (See item 24)
DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report Fast Jump
Production Industries: Energy; Chemical Industry and Hazardous Materials; Defense Industrial Base
Service Industries: Banking and Finance; Transportation and Border Security; Postal and Shipping
Sustenance and Health: Agriculture; Food; Water; Public Health
Federal and State: Government; Emergency Services
IT and Cyber: Information Technology and Telecommunications; Internet Alert Dashboard
Other: Commercial Facilities/Real Estate, Monument &Icons; General; DHS Daily Report Contact
Information
Energy Sector
Current Electricity Sector Threat Alert Levels: Physical: ELEVATED, Cyber:
ELEVATED
Scale: LOW, GUARDED, ELEVATED, HIGH, SEVERE [Source: ISAC for the Electricity Sector (ES−ISAC) −
http://www.esisac.com]
1. March 15, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — FERC approves 83 NERC reliability
standards. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) acted Thursday, March 15, to
assure the reliability of the nation’s bulk power system by finalizing 83 reliability standards
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proposed by the Commission−certified electric reliability organization. Chairman Joseph T.
Kelliher observed: “The Commission takes a landmark step in adopting for the first time
mandatory and enforceable reliability standards in the United States. Last summer, we set
record power demand levels in eight regions of the country. It was the greatest challenge to
reliability of the interstate grid since the August 2003 blackout. With our action today, the U.S.
is better prepared to meet reliability challenges this summer.” The final rule approves 83 of 107
proposed reliability standards, as well as six of the proposed eight regional differences and the
Glossary of Terms submitted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).
These mandatory reliability standards apply to users, owners and operators of the bulk power
system designated by NERC through its compliance registry procedures. Both monetary and
nonmonetary penalties may be imposed for violations of the standards.
Chairman Kelliher's Statement: http://www.ferc.gov/press−room/statements−speeches/kelliher/
2007/03−15−07−kelliher−E−12.asp
Source: http://www.ferc.gov/press−room/press−releases/2007/2007−1/03 −15−07−E−12.asp
2. March 15, Associated Press — Study: Coal industry faces bleak future. The coal industry
faces a bleak future unless ways are developed on a commercial scale to capture and store
carbon dioxide in the campaign against global warming, according to a study entitled, "The
Future of Coal −− Options for a Carbon Constrained World," released Wednesday, March 14.
The report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) says coal, which accounts for
half of the country's electricity production, will remain the fuel of choice to produce electricity
in the United States because it is relatively cheap and abundant. But if carbon limits are
imposed to address climate change, that could change unless the government and industry
develop a program to capture and store the tens of millions of tons of carbon dioxide that now
spew from coal−burning smokestacks into the atmosphere. A central message of the MIT report
is that carbon capture from coal burning is technically and economically possible, but that it has
yet to be proven on the broad commercial scale that would be needed if limits on carbon
emissions are imposed.
Study: http://web.mit.edu/coal/
Source: http://www.examiner.com/a−619081~Study__Coal_Industry_Faces_
Bleak_Future.html
3. March 13, Associated Press — Chevron drops plans for LNG terminal on Mexico's Pacific
coast. Chevron Corp. has dropped plans to build a $650 million liquefied natural gas terminal
near Mexico's Coronado Islands, ending a four−year battle with environmentalists. The energy
company last month withdrew the three key Mexican permits required to develop the project,
said Chevron spokesperson Margaret Cooper. Chevron decided to instead send natural gas
supplies from the Greater Gorgon gas fields off northwest Australia to Japan, Cooper said. The
company has not given up on developing an LNG facility in North America. Chevron is the
latest company to abandon plans to build an LNG terminal in Mexico's Baja California state.
ConocoPhillips Co. dropped plans for a terminal in Rosarito, 15 miles south of San Diego.
Marathon Oil Corp. was forced out in 2004 when municipal authorities seized its beachfront
property in the crowded border city of Tijuana. Sempra Energy is building an LNG terminal in
Ensenada, Mexico, about 50 miles south of San Diego.
Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_5426901
4.
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March 13, New London Day (CT) — Millstone Unit 3 examined for potential welding flaws
NRC also seeking corrective action at 39 other nuke plants. The owner of the Unit 3 reactor
at Millstone Power Station in Connecticut is one of dozens across the country taking action to
strengthen metal welds that have the potential to crack and leak. The federal Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued “commitment action letters” to owners of 40
“pressurized water” reactors Monday, March 12, including Millstone owner Dominion. The
letters confirm that reactor owners at most of the plants would inspect and, if necessary, repair
or strengthen welds on nozzles used to distribute coolant during planned shutdowns this year.
The danger of cracking welds, NRC spokesperson Neil Sheehan said, “is that if some of these
welds were to rupture, there could be a loss−of−coolant accident that could pose a challenge to
reactor operators as they sought to safely shut down the plant.” Last fall, operators found flaws
in welds made of Alloy 82 and 182 metals in the pressurizer at the Wolf Creek reactor near
Burlington, Kansas. The “size and nature” of flaws in welds at the Wolf Creek reactor “led
NRC staff to conclude the industry must accelerate its planned actions for the remainder of the
affected plants,” the NRC said.
Source: http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=8a3401ca−f9c0−4a15−8c52−c6e b1e7addbe
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Chemical Industry and Hazardous Materials Sector
Nothing to report.
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Defense Industrial Base Sector
5. March 15, Government Accountability Office — GAO−07−360: Joint Strike Fighter:
Progress Made and Challenges Remain (Report). The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program −−
a multinational acquisition program for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and eight
cooperative international partners −− is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) most expensive
aircraft acquisition program. DoD currently estimates it will spend $623 billion to develop,
procure, and operate and support the JSF fleet. The JSF aircraft, which includes a variant design
for each of the services, represents 90 percent of the remaining planned investment for DoD’s
major tactical aircraft programs. In fiscal year 2004, the JSF program was rebaselined to
address technical challenges, cost increases, and schedule overruns. This report −− the third
mandated by Congress −− describes the program’s progress in meeting cost, schedule, and
performance goals since rebaselining and identifies various challenges the program will likely
face in meeting these goals in the future. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is
recommending that DoD limit annual production quantities to no more than 24 aircraft per year
until each variant’s basic flying qualities have been demonstrated in flight testing now
scheduled in the 2010 time frame. DoD non−concurred, believing its current strategy provides a
balance of technical risk, financial constraints, and operational needs.
Highlights: http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07360high.pdf
Source: http://www.gao.gov/cgi−bin/getrpt?GAO−07−360
6. March 14, GovExec — Academics urge Congress to go beyond acquisition panel proposals.
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The recent recommendations of an acquisition panel should be pushed further to improve
federal buying, according to two professors. In a paper on emerging contracting policy and
practices, Steven Schooner and Chris Yukins, co−directors of The George Washington
University's Procurement Law Center, reviewed suggestions made by panelists on the Services
Acquisition Reform Act (SARA) Advisory Committee. The group was convened under the
2004 Defense Authorization Act to look at government buying practices. The professors
commended the SARA panel for identifying and addressing the shrinking acquisition
workforce, an "explosion" in service contracting that has outpaced growth in purchases of
products, a tendency for agencies to favor large firms and the increased use of orders placed
through large umbrella contracts. Schooner and Yukins agreed with the basic tenets of
accountability and transparency behind a series of panel recommendations on public notice, bid
protests and rules for smaller contacts. But the academics urged that all purchases be subject to
guidelines for a clear statement of requirements, disclosure of bid evaluation criteria,
reasonable response time and documentation of the award decision. They noted that the
Department of Defense already applies many of those requirements to interagency purchases
worth more than $100,000.
Paper: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=969490
Source: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=36354&dcn=to daysnews
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Banking and Finance Sector
7. March 15, Associated Press — Experts warn of possible identity theft risk. most digital
copiers manufactured in the past five years have disk drives −− the same kind of data−storage
mechanism found in computers −− to reproduce documents. As a result, the seemingly
innocuous machines that are commonly used to spit out copies of tax returns for millions of
Americans can retain the data being scanned. If the data on the copier's disk aren't protected
with encryption or an overwrite mechanism, and if someone with malicious motives gets access
to the machine, industry experts say sensitive information from original documents could get
into the wrong hands. Although industry and security experts were unable to point to any
known incidents of identity thieves using copiers to steal information, they said the potential
was very real.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/03/14/photocopier.risks.a p/index.html
8. March 15, Government Accountability Office — GAO−07−154: Financial Market
Regulation: Agencies Engaged in Consolidated Supervision Can Strengthen Performance
Measurement and Collaboration (Report). As financial institutions increasingly operate
globally and diversify their businesses, entities with an interest in financial stability cite the
need for supervisors to oversee the safety and soundness of these institutions on a consolidated
basis. Under the Comptroller General's Authority, GAO reviewed the consolidated supervision
programs at the Federal Reserve System, Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), and Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC) to (1) describe policies and approaches that U.S.
consolidated supervisors use to oversee large and small holding companies; (2) review the
management of the consolidated supervision programs, including use of program objectives and
performance measures; and (3) evaluate how well consolidated supervisors are collaborating
with other supervisors and each other in their activities. In conducting this study, GAO
4
reviewed agency policy documents and supervisory reports and interviewed agency and
financial institution officials.
Highlights: http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07154high.pdf
Source: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07154.pdf
9. March 15, CNET News.com — Microsoft probes possible IE 7 phishing hole. Microsoft is
investigating a possible vulnerability in Internet Explorer 7 that could help cybercrooks launch
phishing scams, the company said Wednesday, March 14. An attacker can use an error message
displayed by the latest Microsoft browser to send Web surfers to malicious Websites that will
display with the address of a trusted site, such as a bank, a developer wrote on his Website.
Microsoft is looking into the issue, a representative said. "Microsoft is not aware of any attacks
attempting to use the reported vulnerability," the representative said in an e−mailed statement.
Source: http://news.com.com/Microsoft+probes+possible+IE+7+phishing+
hole/2100−1002_3−6167410.html?tag=cd.lede
10. March 14, Department of the Treasury — Treasury finalizes rule against Banco Delta Asia.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury today finalized its rule against Banco Delta Asia SARL
(BDA) under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. When the final rule takes effect in 30
days, U.S. financial institutions will be prohibited from opening or maintaining correspondent
accounts for or on behalf of BDA. This action bars BDA from accessing the U.S. financial
system, either directly or indirectly. "Our investigation of BDA confirmed the bank's
willingness to turn a blind eye to illicit activity, notably by its North Korean−related clients,"
said Stuart Levey, Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI).
"In fact, in exchange for a fee, the bank provided its North Korean clients access to the banking
system with little oversight or control." Abuses at the bank included the facilitation of financial
transactions related to illicit activities, including North Korea's trade in counterfeit U.S.
currency, counterfeit cigarettes, and narcotics. In addition, several front companies may have
laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in cash through the bank.
A copy of the final rule may be accessed at the following link:
http://www.fincen.gov/bda_final_rule.pdf.
Source: http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp315.htm
11. March 13, The Oregonian — Animal activists escalate threats to brokerage's executives.
Animal rights activists are targeting executives of a Portland, OR, brokerage to coerce the firm
into severing its distant ties to a global animal−testing company. Activists held protests last
December outside the houses of two of Wachovia Securities' top executives. Then they posted
photos of their homes on the Internet, along with their names, addresses and phone numbers.
The campaign then took a new and even more personal tack last week, when an underground
group crept onto the property of 36−year−old Jason Bratt, a Wachovia financial adviser,
tagging his home and car with threatening graffiti. A spokesperson for Wachovia Securities,
Tony Mattera, said the Richmond, VA, brokerage was cooperating with investigators. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation, which characterizes the Animal Liberation Front as a leading
domestic terrorist threat, is looking into the ALF vandalism, FBI spokesperson Beth Anne
Steele confirmed.
Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/new
s/1173758147100560.xml&coll=7
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Transportation and Border Security Sector
12. March 15, Washington Post — Coast Guard cancels patrol boat contract. The Coast Guard
took the unusual step on Wednesday, March 14, of canceling a troubled $600 million patrol
boat program, saying the service could manage the effort more efficiently than two of the
nation's largest defense contractors. The Coast Guard had allowed broad latitude to develop the
Fast Response Cutter, shifting significant control to the contractors. But the effort stalled after
concerns emerged last year about the design of the vessel. By managing the work itself and
rebidding the development work, Coast Guard officials estimated they would save enough
money to buy an extra ship and address a patrol boat shortage by getting ships built faster.
Development of the Fast Response Cutter is part of a $24 billion Coast Guard effort, known as
Deepwater, to modernize and greatly expand its aging fleet of ships, planes, and helicopters.
The program has faced heavy criticism from Congress as government auditors have identified
design flaws in three ship programs and attributed the problems in part to the service's decision
to give so much control to the contractors. About $2.3 billion has been spent on the overall
Deepwater effort.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp−dyn/content/article/2007/03
/14/AR2007031402370.html
13. March 15, Associated Press — Auditor: Chicago−area mass transit needs overhaul. The
financial condition of the Chicago area's mass transit systems is so precarious that even
doubling fares wouldn't generate enough money to bail them out, the state's top auditor said
Thursday, March 15. Auditor General William Holland doesn't advocate such a drastic
measure, but the scenario helps illustrate the financial straits he says the agencies −− the
Chicago Transit Authority, Metra rail, and Pace suburban bus service −− are in. The audit
suggests the General Assembly review the funding formula that relies on sales tax and hasn't
been updated since 1983. It also suggests lawmakers look at ways to better organize the
agencies and the Regional Transportation Authority that oversees them. Holland said the
agencies have operating and capital needs this year of $800 million to $1 billion. Operating
expenses over the last five years have increased at three times the rate of revenue, he said.
Without more money, Holland warned, there will be more delays and service breakdowns. The
metropolitan area relies heavily on mass transit, with one in eight people using it to get to work.
Chicagoans are even more dependent on it, with one in four people riding trains and buses to
their jobs.
Audit: http://tinyurl.com/2zc6zx
Source: http://www.jg−tc.com/articles/2007/03/15/ap−state−il/d8nsput g1.txt
14. March 14, Associated Press — FAA grounds RegionsAir, stranding passengers. Three
northern West Virginia airports could be without commercial flights until May 1, when
USAirways partner Colgan Air takes over service. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
last week grounded all RegionsAir planes, stranding passengers at airports in Morgantown,
Clarksburg, and Parkersburg. Tennessee−based RegionsAir operates as American Connection
and Continental Connection in six states including Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. RegionsAir had
served the West Virginia airports with flights to Cleveland since July 2006 but struggled
6
financially, finally announcing in November that it would sell the company. Bob Hammel,
Morgantown airport director, said Continental has removed flights from all three West Virginia
cities from its system. Problems with the carrier's training and certification program caused the
grounding, said Laura Brown, a spokesperson for the FAA. Meanwhile, the authority that
controls the Mid−Ohio Valley Regional Airport near Parkersburg is considering a lawsuit
against RegionsAir to recover $43,000 for rent and services rendered.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007−03−14−regionsair −grounded_N.htm
15. March 14, Associated Press — New York rail safety probe urged. With data showing 572
upstate rail accidents in the past seven years have caused $34 million in damage, Senator
Charles Schumer called Wednesday, March 14, for a joint federal probe of recent crashes by
CSX freight trains, including Monday's blaze of fuel tankers in Oneida. It was the fifth
derailment involving CSX Corp. in New York since December, which had prompted New
York’s senators to urge a federal investigation into railroad safety across the state. National
Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived Tuesday, March 13, at the crash site 20 miles
east of Syracuse. On Wednesday, Schumer issued the report citing 23 other rail accidents in
five counties of central New York from 2000 to 2006 that caused $2.3 million in damage, even
higher totals in most other regions, and called for a joint investigation by the NTSB, Federal
Railroad Administration, and Department of Homeland Security. Spokespeople for CSX and
the Federal Railroad Administration responded that safety records have improved statewide and
nationally last year and for the company both last year and so far this year.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8NS82100.htm
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Postal and Shipping Sector
16. March 14, Associated Press — Omaha businesses warned of suspicious mail. Two letters
sent to financial institutions in Omaha have been linked to the same person who has been
sending threats and pipe bombs to businesses in the Midwest, according to the U.S. Postal
Service. Postal inspector David Margritz said other financial firms in the city have been warned
to be on the lookout for suspicious mail after the two letters were attributed to "the Bishop."
The man −− and investigators believe they are dealing with a man −− is suspected of sending at
least a half−dozen threatening letters to financial institutions over the past 18 months and
mailing two dud pipe bombs that arrived a day apart in Kansas City and Chicago in January. In
his letters, the Bishop has demanded that financial companies move the prices of certain stocks
to certain levels, often $6.66 −− an apparent reference to the Antichrist, corporate
counterterrorism expert Fred Burton has said. Postal inspectors are offering a reward of up to
$100,000 for information. The investigation also includes the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local law enforcement agencies.
Source: http://www.kctv5.com/Global/story.asp?S=6228913
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Agriculture Sector
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17. March 14, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service — USDA distributes rabies vaccine in
Alabama. Wildlife Services, a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, will distribute oral rabies vaccine baits across
portions of central Alabama beginning on, or about March 20, to prevent the spread of raccoon
rabies. Baits containing oral rabies vaccine will be distributed over rural areas using low−flying
twin−engine aircraft while hand baiting will occur in populated regions using ground−based
vehicles. The projected one−week program will target raccoons and result in the distribution of
approximately 430,000 baits covering roughly 2,000 square miles in the Birmingham area.
Since 2003, USDA has been cooperating with the Alabama Departments of Public Health and
Agriculture and Industries, in addition to the Jefferson County Department of Health to
vaccinate raccoons and prevent the westward movement of rabies into unaffected areas. This
project is part of a larger effort to establish a rabies−free barrier extending north along the
Appalachian Mountains.
Source: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/content/2007/03/rabial07. shtml
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Food Sector
18. March 14, Associated Press — Chiquita to pay $25 million in terror case. Banana company
Chiquita Brands International said Wednesday, March 14, it has agreed to a $25 million fine
after admitting it paid terrorists for protection in Colombia. The settlement resolves a lengthy
Justice Department investigation into the company's financial dealings with paramilitaries and
leftist rebels the U.S. government deems terrorist groups. In court documents, federal
prosecutors said the Cincinnati, OH−based company and several unnamed high−ranking
corporate officers paid about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self−Defense
Forces of Colombia, known as AUC for its Spanish initials. The AUC has been responsible for
some of the worst massacres in Colombia's civil conflict and for a sizable percentage of the
country's cocaine exports. Prosecutors said the company made the payments in exchange for
protection for its workers. In addition to paying the AUC, prosecutors said, Chiquita made
payments to the National Liberation Army, or ELN, and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia, or FARC, as control of the company's banana−growing area shifted.
Source: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070314/terrorism_bananas.html?.v=5
19. March 14, Associated Press — U.S. agencies track bird flu at ports. The U.S. government is
trying to determine whether bird flu can contaminate the food supply and is cracking down on
smuggling of pet birds and poultry that can spread the virus. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration said it is studying potential food contamination as part of a pandemic flu plan.
Among the foods it regulates −− everything but meat, poultry and eggs −− the agency aims to
pinpoint the foods and livestock feeds most likely to be tainted. Scientists are also trying to
develop tests that will find the virus in foods. At the same time, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture said it will double its anti−smuggling operations at U.S. ports, restaurants and
markets. A team seized 360,000 pounds of prohibited poultry products in 31 special operations
last year, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said Wednesday, March 14.
Source: http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.as
px?feed=AP&Date=20070314&ID=6614695
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Water Sector
Nothing to report.
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Public Health Sector
20. March 15, Los Angeles Times — Parasite is a growing concern for healthcare professionals.
A potentially deadly parasite from Latin America has become one of the latest threats to the
blood and organ supplies in the U.S., especially in Los Angeles, CA. Last year, two heart
transplant patients at different Los Angeles hospitals contracted the parasitic disease, called
Chagas, causing health authorities to issue a national bulletin. Within months, both patients
subsequently died, although not directly from Chagas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. The parasite, which is generally passed to humans from a
blood−sucking insect, can feed over years on tissues of the heart and gastrointestinal tract. After
decades, tissues can be eroded so much that the organs fail. Insect transmission of the parasite
in the U.S. is rare, but public health and blood bank officials have been concerned about its
increasing prevalence in the blood supply. In 1996, using an experimental test, the American
Red Cross found that one in 9,850 blood donors in the Los Angeles area tested positive for the
parasite. Two years later, it was one in every 5,400. By 2006, a more refined test detected the
parasite in one in 3,800 donors. By contrast, HIV, which blood banks screen for, shows up in
one of every 30,000 donors.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la−me−chagas15mar15,0,5645
224.story?coll=la−home−headlines
21. March 14, Agence France−Presse — Myanmar confirms two more bird flu outbreaks.
Military−ruled Myanmar warned Wednesday, March 14, of two more possible outbreaks of the
H5N1 bird flu virus in Yangon, the country's largest city, where four outbreaks have been
confirmed this month. The suspected outbreaks were at quail and pheasant farms in two
townships on the northern outskirts of the city, official media said. A total of 66 pheasants and
60 quails died at the farms, the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported. Initial tests
found the birds died of the flu.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070314/hl_afp/healthflumyanmar
_070314201224;_ylt=AlhJFk0FyuUhbSQ_TccPLv2JOrgF
22. March 14, Reuters — Egyptian 10−year−old tests positive for bird flu. A ten−year−old
Egyptian girl has tested positive for bird flu, becoming the 25th human case in the country, a
World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Wednesday, March 14. "It occurred inside
Aswan in an urban area, and we don't have much details at this point in time," said Hassan
al−Bushra, regional adviser for communicable disease surveillance for the WHO.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL14633239200703 14
23.
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March 10, News−Gazette (IL) — Chimps, humans share bacteria. Proximity between
chimpanzees and people in a protected wildlife area in Uganda may be leaving them with more
in common than an ancestor in the distant past. The animals also are apparently picking up
human bacteria −− some of it with antibiotic resistance. The study in Uganda's Kibale National
Park is the first to show such a transmission in a protected wildlife area and without direct
contact between the animals and people. The burgeoning of resistant pathogens already is a
human health threat, rendering commonly used antibiotics ineffective in some cases. But the
spread of resistance has been thought to be largely a result of such developed−nation problems
as over−prescription of antibiotics by doctors and widespread use of antibiotics in domestic
animal feed. The researchers are now looking for similarities in bacteria and antibiotic
resistance in people from farms around the park whose crops are raided by Kibale chimpanzees
and other monkeys.
Source: http://www.news−gazette.com/news/local/2007/03/10/chimps_hum ans_share_bacteria
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Government Sector
24. March 15, USA TODAY — Homeland Security team to focus on U.S. terrorists. The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Wednesday, March 14, it has created a unit to
combat the threat posed by "homegrown terrorists" −− citizens or legal residents who plot
attacks from inside the nation's borders. "This phenomenon presents a real and serious
challenge to our nation," DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff told a Senate panel. Chertoff
emphasized that violent extremists "represent a small, fringe element within the American
Muslim community" and that members of that community have been "outspoken in their
opposition to terrorist violence." He noted that the last major attack by homegrown terrorists
was the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. DHS's Chief Intelligence Officer Charles Allen's new
unit will address all forms of extremist activity but will focus mainly on the threat from
radicalized Muslims. The group has met with officials in 18 cities from Albany, NY, to
Sacramento to get a handle on the problem. Chertoff said some Muslim groups are working
with his office to combat radicalization.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007−03−14−homegrown
_N.htm?POE=NEWISVA
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Emergency Services Sector
25. March 15, Hilltop Times (UT) — Air Force changes its contingency response. Under the new
Air Force Incident Management System, all Air Force installations will respond to emergencies
the same way the civilian community has for years. The new system comes as a direct response
to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, which after the response to Hurricane Katrina,
called for the establishment of a single, comprehensive national system for managing domestic
incidents. During Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requested
assistance from the Department of Defense without knowing State National Guard forces had
already been called in for the same mission. “Hurricane Katrina cemented the need for DoD
10
integration with civilian communities,” said Mike Monson, 775th Civil Engineer Squadron.
“The Air Force’s answer is the Air Force Incident Management System.” Under the new
system, the Air Force will use the same structure FEMA and all other federal, state, and local
agencies use when responding to emergencies.
Source: http://www.hilltoptimes.com/story.asp?edition=289&storyid=77 83
26. March 14, Federal Emergency Management Agency — President declares major disaster for
Iowa. The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) Wednesday, March 14, announced that federal disaster aid has
been made available for Iowa to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck
by severe winter storms during the period of February 23 to March 2, 2007. FEMA Director
David Paulison said federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and
certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost−sharing basis for emergency work and the
repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storms in the counties of
Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Calhoun, Cedar, Chickasaw, Clinton,
Des Moines, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Howard,
Humboldt, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa,
Marion, Marshall, Mitchell, Muscatine, Pocahontas, Poweshiek, Story, Tama, Van Buren,
Wapello, Washington, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Worth, and Wright.
Source: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=34822
27. March 14, News 14 (NC) — Terrorism drill tests first responders in North Carolina. A
"bomb" went off Wednesday, March 14, at the former site of East Coast Bible College in west
Charlotte, NC, and emergency crews were called in to respond to the simulated terrorist attack.
The drill produced mass casualties and injuries in a real−life setting. The firefighters said the
task was tough as they each carried about 15−20 victims down stairs as a team while trying to
avoid debris on the ground. Crews will be working 12−hour shifts Wednesday, March 14,
through Saturday, March 17. The first crews to respond were from Mecklenburg and Gaston
counties, but other crews from around the state will join in as they would do for a real
emergency.
Source: http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.a sp?ArID=135561
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Information Technology and Telecommunications Sector
28. March 15, Websense — Trojan horse exploit with German lure. There are reports of new,
malicious Websites which are designed to install Trojan horses. The Websites are hosted in
Korea and Hong Kong. The sites attempt to exploit the Microsoft AdoDB / XML HTTP
(MS06−014) vulnerability to download and install a Trojan downloader without end−user
interaction. Users receive an email, written in German, requesting that they visit a Website to
verify their order number. Upon visiting the site, the malicious code is automatically
downloaded and run, assuming the user is not patched for the Microsoft vulnerability. The
original site, which is hosted in Korea, appears to have been compromised.
Source: http://www.websense.com/securitylabs/alerts/alert.php?AlertI D=751
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29. March 15, Websense — Large Chinese sites hosting Trojan exploits. There are reports of
new malicious Websites, designed to install Trojan horse and Password Stealing malicious
code. The Websites are hosted in China and attempt to exploit several Microsoft vulnerabilities
to download and install a Trojan downloader without end−user interaction. Among the sites are
a popular Chinese book store hosted on Myrice. All sites appear to have been compromised.
Source: http://www.websense.com/securitylabs/alerts/alert.php?AlertI D=752
30. March 14, US−CERT — Microsoft releases Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.
Microsoft has released Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2. This update package provides the
following security enhancements: 1) The ability to simplify the creation and maintenance of the
Internet Protocol security (IPsec) policy; 2) Group Policy support for non−broadcasting
networks and Wi−Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) settings to allow Windows wireless client
configuration; 3) Windows wireless client support for WPA2. US−CERT encourages affected
administrators to apply this update package as soon as possible.
Source: http://www.us−cert.gov/current/current_activity.html#mswsv03 s2
Internet Alert Dashboard
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US−CERT at soc@us−cert.gov or visit
their Website: www.us−cert.gov.
Information on IT information sharing and analysis can be found at the IT ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Center)
Website: https://www.it−isac.org/.
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Commercial Facilities/Real Estate, Monument &Icons Sector
31. March 15, Associated Press — Elevator explodes near Boston; two killed. An elevator
exploded in an office building Wednesday, March 14, and authorities began investigating it as a
murder−suicide after they found the bodies of a man and woman inside. Essex District Attorney
Jonathan Blodgett said the deaths in downtown Lynn, near Boston, appeared to be a "domestic
violence situation by use of an incendiary device." Two people were taken to hospitals with
minor injuries, police said. Witnesses said a man pulled a woman into the elevator, and shortly
afterward, an explosion engulfed the elevator, police said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze
and found the bodies. Employees said the woman worked as a receptionist for a psychiatric
clinic in the building. The blast shook the three−story building.
Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/ELEVATOR_EXPLOSION?SI
TE=WUSA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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General Sector
32. March 15, USA TODAY — Al Qaeda No. 3 confesses to orchestrating 9/11, 31 other attacks.
The suspected mastermind of the September 11 hijackings confessed at a military hearing at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that he organized those attacks plus many more, according to a
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transcript released Wednesday, March 14, by the Pentagon. "I am responsible for the 9/11
operation from A to Z," Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told military investigators, the transcript
says. Mohammed's statements came during secret hearings that began Friday on whether 14
alleged terrorist leaders should be declared "enemy combatants." If they are, they can be held
indefinitely and prosecuted by military tribunals. The detainees would be tried under the new
military commissions law signed by Bush in October. The 26−page transcript included
responses to questions posed by investigators to Mohammed and others. Mohammed, who was
arrested in 2003 in Pakistan, described himself as the military operational commander for al
Qaeda's worldwide attacks.
Read transcripts and summaries released by the Pentagon:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Combatant_Tribunals.html
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007−03−14−gitmo−con fession_N.htm
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DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report Contact Information
DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Reports − The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure
Report is a daily [Monday through Friday] summary of open−source published information
concerning significant critical infrastructure issues. The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure
Report is archived for ten days on the Department of Homeland Security Website:
http://www.dhs.gov/iaipdailyreport
DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report Contact Information
Content and Suggestions:
Subscription and Distribution Information:
Send mail to dhsdailyadmin@mail.dhs.osis.gov or contact the DHS
Daily Report Team at (703) 983−3644.
Send mail to dhsdailyadmin@mail.dhs.osis.gov or contact the DHS
Daily Report Team at (703) 983−3644 for more information.
Contact DHS
To report physical infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact the National Infrastructure
Coordinating Center at nicc@dhs.gov or (202) 282−9201.
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US−CERT at soc@us−cert.gov or
visit their Web page at www.us−cert.gov.
Department of Homeland Security Disclaimer
The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is a non−commercial publication intended to educate and inform
personnel engaged in infrastructure protection. Further reproduction or redistribution is subject to original copyright
restrictions. DHS provides no warranty of ownership of the copyright, or accuracy with respect to the original source
material.
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